Santiago
Chile


The Experience

Unveiled in 2003 as the Ritz-Carlton's first South American venture, this hotel instantly claimed its crown as Santiago's best. Granted, the competition wasn't stiff. But that's not to detract from the Ritz; while there's little here that's overly compelling, there's a lot that's very good. Start with the building itself, a sleek 15-story structure clad in light travertine marble and fetching red brick, contrasting with the snowcapped Andes that you can see from many guest rooms on clear days. The interior is equally striking, especially the lobby with its black and gold marble mosaic floor beneath a two-story rotunda. Although largely geared toward business visitors, the hotel is a decent place to base a leisurely stay in Santiago. It may not be close to the hippest restaurants in town, but it's within walking distance of some upscale shops and restaurants, and within easy reach of the Pueblo los Dominicos art and antique market.

The Rooms

Rooms are a healthy 430 square feet, comfortable and wired as many business hotels are (high-speed Internet, multiline phones, wide-screen TVs), while executive suites are 50 percent larger than standards. But it's unmistakably a Ritz: There's a lack of just about anything that speaks of Chile or even Latin America. That is, until you look outside and see the Andes. So ask for something high up on the hotel's west or north side with a mountain view. This won't make much difference in summer when Santiago's smog will obliterate much of the sight, but in winter the panoramas from the higher rooms can be absolutely stunning.

The Service

There were a few teething problems at launch -- it was difficult recruiting top-notch employees in a city without a superlative service tradition -- but the hotel is now whizzing along with traditional Ritz-Carlton efficiency and savoir faire. You make a request at this hotel and the staff gets it done quickly and quietly.

The Highlights

Santiago is wine country every bit as much as the Napa Valley or Bordeaux, and one of the Ritz-Carlton's more intriguing offerings is a bistro called Wine 365 that showcases a different bottle of Chilean wine for every day of the year, premium reds and whites drawn from a hundred different vineyards. The hotel's master sommelier helps guests choose just the right vintage for their lunch or dinner. Those with a penchant for something stronger can pop into the RC Bar, where the bartenders can concoct a hundred different types of martini -- not quite every day of the year, but then again, who's counting after the first dozen? The hotel's other indulgence is a rooftop health club with an indoor pool beneath a futuristic glass cupola that looks like something out of Star Wars.

-- Joe Yogerst

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